Egg cushion



Feb. 27, 1934. w K. JAQUITH EGG CUSHION Filed March 23, 1931 2Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG. 2.

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ATTORNEY Feb. 27, 1934. w, K JAQUITH 1,948,986

EGG CUSHION Filed March 23, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 o i 2 2.6 /k/ZS 'T l65' 1o .3o// 124/ 29 i C) /6/ A G L M ,I .U FIG. 10. P- 11 FIG u i: E 3o2z le 2' E 26 E 2' 22 29 y INVENTOR. /mm /f/@w BY ATTORNEY Patented Feb. 27, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 8 Claims.

The present invention relates to egg carriers and more particularly toan improved cushion therefor, and which in the trade is named as a at",which is designed to support horizontal layers of eggs within a carrierand on the cushion of which are adapted to rest the positioned eggs,such cushion being box-like and upwardly formed from the plane of theat. The dats are designed to reduce breakage of eggs to a minimum duringhandling or transportation.

In connection with the use of the flats, intersecting separators orflllers of well known type are provided which support the ilats invertically spaced relation and interlock to form egg compartments.

The present invention has numerous advantages over the known type ofcushions, of which there are several in common use. One known typenecessitates the forming of the cushion of papier-mch, chip-board or thelike, in which the material is formed of plaster pulp by presses or diesand then dried in its formed condition, providing cups or seats for theeggs. This type requires expensive machinery to manufacture, and can bemanufactured only at a. large plant or factory. Other types are providedwith upformed boxes or cushions having central cups on which the eggsrest.

It is customary to use the egg cushions in egg carriers or crates whichare adapted to receive superposed layers of eggs from bottom to top.Each egg is separated from its next adjacent egg by intersecting andinterlocking vertical members, known as separators or fillers. 'Iheusual cushions of the flats have boxes upformed from the sheet and arearranged in rows, so that they have sides parallel with the edges of theflat.

To provide such cushions from an ordinary sheet of stock paper isdiicult because in formingup the box-like cushions, the paper must bedrawn or contracted from two directions, to obviate which it isnecessary to slit the paper sheet so as to allow for forming-up the sidewall of the cushion. This slitting weakens the sheet materially so thatit is difficult to handle practically. Further, the box-like cushionswith sides parallel to the edges of the flat provide a series of alignedsquares parallel with the edges of the flat, which allows a considerablespace between the upformed cushions, and the interlocked separators restin these spaces.

When the space is wide, the separators have a tendency to slip in thecrate, from side to side, or end to end, and to collapse diagonally. Ifthe squares are made of suiiicient dimensions to eliminate the slippingof the separators, the flat is weakened because it has substantially nohorizontal body portion in the normal plane of the sheet and is alsoweakened from the necessary numerous slits, so close together. Suchilats co usually require a base sheet to reinforce them.

This invention, therefore, purposes to form the cushion portions withside walls diagonal to the perimetral edges of the sheet, so that theintersecting hypothenuse from corner to corner of the cushion isparallel to the edges of the sheet, and so that the apex of the cornersof the 11p-formed cushions are aligned and closely adjacent, and providealigned channels laterally and longitudinally for reception of the loweredges of the sepa- 'm rators or llers. In this way the separators orllers are prevented from lateral and longitudinal movement and yet thereremains in the normal plane of the sheet of the flat a sufcient amountof body material to insure a satisfactory degree of rigidity andstrength, so that the at may be made of lighter weight and more flexiblematerial, both of which facilitate the drawing of the paper material toform the upformed box.

An object of the invention is to provide an egg 30 cushion sheet whichmay be formed from a sheeting of ordinary stock nbre paper orchip-board, and in which the sides of a box-like upwardly formed cushionportion are diagonal to the perimetral edges of the sheet, so as toprovide dimeng5 sions of greater length parallel to the separatormembers without substantially increasing the top area of the up-formedcushions; to provide an egg cushion sheet which may be nested; toprovide an egg dat, the cushioning portion or surface of which is formedfrom separate strips cut and bent to aord box-like upwardly formedcushioning members, the nearest adjacent portions of which are separatedby grooves or channels in which are received the lower edge ofinterlocked separators which form separating means for the eggs anddivide the flat into individual egg compartments. A further object is toprovide an egg cushion flat in which up-raised portions may be formed byutilizing the surplus area provided in a sheet of stock-paper by meansof corrugations therein, and to provide means whereby eggs resting onthe flat may be ventilated.

With the above mentioned and other objects in view, the inventionconsists in the novel construction and combination of parts hereinafterdescribed, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and pointed out inthe claims hereto appended; it being understood that various changes inthe form, proportion, size and minor details of construction within thescope of the claims may be resorted to without departing from the spiritor sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

To more clearly comprehend the invention, reference is directed to theaccompanying drawings, wherein Fig. 1 is plan view of sheet from whichFigs. 2, 3 and 4are formed.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of sheet after a' first corrugation operation.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of sheet after a first and second corrugationoperation.

Fig. 4 is a plan view of sheet formed fiat.

Fig. 5 is a vertical section on line 5-5, Fig; 3';

Fig. 6 is a vertical section on line:6-6, Fig. 9.

Fig. 'I is a perspective of fiat, showing separators in place.

Fig. 8 is a vertical section on line 8-8of Fig. 7l

Fig. 9 is a plan view of modified form of fiat.

Fig. 10 is a vertical section ont line` 10-10' of F18. 9..

Fig. 11- is af vertical section on line. 11-11.-of Fig. 9.

Fig. 12v is a plan view of strip used in-Fig..9, prior to folding.

Referring to the drawings, wherein'like characters of referenceVdesignate corresponding parts, and particularly referring to Figs. 1 to5 inclusive, 13 is a sheet-of heavy, meaning not fiabby, formablematerial, such as chipbo'ard, fibre board or the like, readilyobtainable commercially as standardstock which-is passedlthroughdie'rollers having intermeshing corrugated faces, so that the boardafter` passing betweenuthe, rollers is shortened in one direction'by thecorrugations 14 in Fig. 2. The board is then passed between the same orsimilar rollerssovas again to corrugate it and form corrugations 15atrightA anglesv to the first corrugations 14. The' second corrugations15 draw the board back toa.rectangular shape, though. of smaller extremedimensions than' the dimensions of the board prior-to-the first'corrugations, the surplus of dimension being absorbed in thevertical-height of' the corrugations, and thus providing a surfaceareaof the corrugated board greater than the surface area of thegeometric plane in Whichsuchboard lies. The-board may then be passedthrough suitable dies; preferably of the cylindrical rotary type, whichhave interfitting matrix faces and the box-like cushions 16 formedupwardly from the plane of the corrugated sheet 15.

It is well known that paper of this type has very little give, stretchor elasticity, and if it is attempted to form the cushions upwardly froma flat sheet there is not sufficient elasticity to the paper to permitthe stretching thereof an additional amount equal to the vertical heightof the cushions, and the paper board splits or cuts when passing throughthe die. The corrugations provide a surplus amount of paper surfacewithin the geometric plane of the board, so that the additional amountof paper to form the upraised cushion is provided by ironing out orfiattening the corrugations. The corrugations also rigidify the paperboard so that it needs no base or second board attached thereto forpurposes of strength. The corrugations are not necessarily formed overthe entire surface of the board, but they are desirable in the inclinedside walls 17 which in passing through the die absorb or draw upnecessary surplus board surface from the corrugations of the paperparallel to that side, and depress but do not absorb the surplusmaterial of the corrugations perpendicular thereto. Although suchperpendicular corrugations are substantially deformed, suflicient of thetraces of the corrugations remain to reinforce vertically the side wallof the cushion, as at 18. The upraised cushions are preferably arrangedwith side walls diagonal to the edges of the filler, as shown in Figs.4, 7 and 9, for several purposes, first, to provide a dimension orlhypothenuse from corner to corner ofv the-cushion aligned with a likedimension of adjacent cushions, so that the foot or base of the walls ofcorner portions substantially abut and thus provide a stop orholdingmeans to prevent movement of the separators, without making thetop dimensions of the cushion as great as if the cushions were arrangedwith side walls parallel to the edges of the sheet of board; second.'sothat in passing the board through the dies, the die will first beeffective on an angular corner instead of on an entire length: of. aside, and thus the paper board will be, drawn or contracted gradually,and will be released from the die inthe same manner; third, thisarrangement provides a rectangle in the normal plane of the sheet whichserves to reinforce the sheet against fiabbiness in handling and also.provides for the intersection of the vertical fillers or separatorscentrally of the said rectangle, sothat each egg compartment adjacentthe rectangle may be ventilated by a relatively smallopening so that thestrength of the board is not greatly reduced, (see Figs. 4 and 9).

Suitable depressions or pockets 19 are provided in the top of thecushions for purpose of receiving therein the end portion of an egg. Thewalls of this p0cket,.like the upformed side walls require a certainamount of surplus material whichv may be supplied by pressing out theoorrugations therein, and the walls of the pocket may also be: radiallyslotted, as shown in Figs. 4 and '7, so'that when an egg. is placedtherein, a plurality of fingers 2O are depressed (see Fig. 8) for thepurpose of receiving the thrust of the end of the egg next below if theegg carrier is turned upside down or roughly handled.

It will be observed that by using a single sheet of chip-board in thedevice of Fig. 4, a nestable structure is secured which may be stackedfor shipment, and thus save space and weight.

In Figs. 9 to 12 a modified form of structure is shown in which thecushions 16 are formed in elongated sections 21 and pasted on a base 22.The elongated sections are preformed from strips 23 of chip-board fibrepaper (see Fig. 12), which may be of corrugated material similar to Fig.4, or the cushions may be upwardly formed from the material by means ofslits cut therein, the slit 24 permitting the lengthwise contraction ofthe strip as the side walls of the cushions are formed up and the slits25 providing a tongue 26 which folds under the adjacent side wall of thecushion. In Fig. 9, circular openings 27 are provided for seating of theegg as a modification of the depressions or pockets 19 shown in Fig. 7.

Complaints are frequently received that the portion of the egg which isenclosed by a pocket or depression in the ordinary egg cushion becomesdiscolored when eggs are stored for long periods in refrigerationplants. This is due to lack of ventilation of the egg at that enclosedportion, or subjecting the enclosed portion to a different atmosphericcondition than is received by the other portions of the egg.rI'herefore, I have provided openings 28 for ventilation of that portionof each egg enclosed in the cushion and like ventilation openings 29 inthat section of the flat or iiller which is surrounded by a side wall ofadjacent cushions. When the interlocking separators 30 are placed in thecarrier with their bottom edges in the channels formed by the relativelyaligned corners of the cushions, the intersection of the separatorsoverlies the openings 29. 'Ihese openings may be placed in each unraisedsection of the fiat, but since multiplica tion of such openings tends toweaken the board, it has been found suicient that the openings 29 beformed in alternate unraised sections, which will provide one-fourth ofeach Ventilating opening in each egg compartment.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:-

1. A cushion pad for egg carriers, comprising a sheet of flexiblematerial having portions upraised from the plane of said sheet,providing a top supported by depending side walls which are diagonallydisposed with relation to the per' imet-ral edges of the sheet, said topbeing provided with a pocket adapted to receive a portion of an egg.

2. A cushion pad for egg carriers comprising a sheet of ilexiblematerial having portions thereof upraised from the plane of said sheetproviding a top supported by depending side walls which are diagonallydisposed relative to the perimetral edges of the sheet, said top beingprovided with a pocket adapted to receive a portion of an egg, the saidupraised portions being relatively aligned with the edges of the sheetand with each other and having diametrally opposite corner portionsclosely adjacent and aligned parallel to the sheet edges.

3. A cushion pad for egg carriers comprising a sheet of flexiblematerial having portions thereof upraised from the plane of said sheetproviding i a top supported by depending side walls, said relativelyangularly disposed, said sheet having upraised portions formed thereinproviding a top and depending side walls, said side walls lying in thecorrugated area of the sheet, and said top having an opening thereinadapted to receive an end portion of an egg.

5. A cushion for egg carriers comprising a sheet of flexible materialprovided with corrugations therein, said sheet having upraised portionsformed therein providing a top and depending side walls, said top havingan opening therein adapted to receive an end portion of an egg, and saidside Walls lying in the corrugated area of the sheet and being disposeddiagonally relative to side edges of the sheet.

6. A cushion for egg carriers comprising a sheet of flexible materialprovided with corrugations relatively angularly disposed, said sheethaving upraised portions formed therein providing a top and dependingside walls, said top having an opening therein adapted to receive an endportion of an egg, said upraised portions forming parallelograms theside walls of which are diagonally disposed relative to the edges of thesheet.

7. A cushion for egg carriers comprising a sheet of exible materialprovided with corrugations relatively angularly disposed, said sheethaving upraised portions formed therein providing a top and dependingside walls, said top having an opening therein adapted to receive an endportion of an egg, said upraised portions forming parallelograms theside walls of which are diagonally disposed relative to the edges of thesheet, said sheet being provided with openings therethrough intermediatesaid upraised portions.

8. A cushion pad for egg carriers, comprising a sheet of ilexiblematerial having spaced eggreceiving pockets therein, said sheet havingtherein relatively spaced aligned slits, said slits being alsorelatively spaced from the egg-receiving pockets, each of said slitsbeing substantially aligned with a diameter of the egg-receiving pocketwhen the sheet is in a flat form and the edges of said slit beingadapted for providing ends of side Walls when the sheet materialadjacent the egg receiving pockets is upformed into cushion formingrelation.

WILLIAM K. J AQUITH.

